


Messages from a Known Stranger

by ElizaXSpears



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Drama, Episode Ignis Spoilers, M/M, Romance, spoilers for entire game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 09:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13877883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElizaXSpears/pseuds/ElizaXSpears
Summary: Of course, from the start, he realized who he was talking to. The ‘specs’ nickname the unknown person used in their first interaction was already a dead give away and the way they texted was already very familiar, but Ignis decided to play this little game, if not for some excitement then the broken record of his life.





	Messages from a Known Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> Haven’t done a FFXV oneshot in a while, but I was listening to a song at work tonight and it inspired something.

His eyes burned behind the lenses of his glasses. His workload seemed to have doubled these last few weeks and Ebony could only keep him away so much. What was this? His nearly ninth can by now? At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he ever finished this never ending work at a decent hour.

He leant back in his chair, wiping his hands under his glasses, over his eyes. He needed these done tonight. Well, okay, maybe not  _ needed _ , but he’d rather have these done now then have them plus any more work to pile on top if any came in tomorrow. He suppose he should get used to it eventually; being the the advisor to the King to be after all. But at least when that happened, he wouldn’t have schoolwork on top of royal work.

He brushed back his bangs, frowning when they just fell over his eyes again. He sighed, turning his head to the window in his room, his eyes drawn to the dark sky and the twinkling lights above them. Absently, he found his mind wandering to his charge, dearly hoping that Noctis had gone to bed at a decent hour so waking him in the morning wouldn’t be such a hassle (deep down he knew that wasn’t going to be the case, but he could dream).

He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Now was not the time to let his mind wander. He had work he needed to finish and daydreaming wasn’t going to help anything.

Just as he reached for his pen, his phone on the desk next to him buzzed, the screen lighting up with a new text. He knew he should ignore it for now, focus on work, but tonight, he seemed to gravitate toward distractions and he set the pen down to pick up his phone.

He expected it to be Gladio or at the very least Prompto but to his surprise, the sender was unknown.

 

**_{Unknown: 12:14 a.m}_ ** Still up? U know that’s not good 4 u

**_{Ignis: 12:14 a.m}_ ** Who is this?

**_{Unknown: 12:14 a.m}_ ** A person

**_{Ignis: 12:14 a.m}_ ** Who is this?

**_{Unknown: 12:17 a.m}_ ** Someone who worries about u

 

Ignis blinked, brows furrowed together. There were very few people who had his contact information unless someone gave it out, but with the people he surrounded himself with, he trusted them all too much for them to do something like that.

 

**_{Ignis: 12:18 a.m}_ ** How did you know I was still awake?

**_{Unknown: 12:18 a.m}_ ** I guessed. U never go 2 bed at a good time

 

This was someone he knew then, not that he doubted it wasn’t. But who then? If he knew them, surely he would have had their contact information as well.

 

**_{Ignis: 12:18 a.m}_ ** Why do you care then?

**_{Unknown: 12:18 a.m}_ ** U care 2 much abt everyone else. Someone's got 2 care 4 u

 

Before Ignis could probably think of a come back to that, another text rapidly came in:

 

**_{Unknown: 12:19 a.m}_ ** I know ur not going 2 trust me, but, I want 2 be that person u can talk 2 if there’s something bothering u. Can’t tell u who I am, but please trust me. 

 

Ignis stared at the text longer then he meant too. Oddly enough, he did trust whoever this person was. Perhaps it was because it was so late and his mind was to sleep fogged to really think this through, but he replied:

**_{Ignis: 12:26 a.m}_ ** Alright, but I must focus on my work now if it is to be done by the morrow. Goodnight, whoever you are.

**_{Unknown: 12:26 a.m}_ ** K. Night specs.

 

Ignis smiled.

 

_______________________________

 

There was very little that made Ignis excited nowadays. He’d gotten used to everything being on repeat day in and day out but now that he had this someone to talk too, he felt excited to get back to his own apartment and simply talk. The person on the other end was just as eager to lend an ear and to that, he was grateful. He didn’t want to burden anyway with his problems but over text, it felt both impersonal but intimate. If they did not wish to hear any more of his complaining, they could remove themselves easily from their phone; Ignis didn’t feel like he was keeping anyone forcefully listening.

Of course, from the start, he realized who he was talking to. The ‘specs’ nickname the unknown person used in their first interaction was already a dead give away and the way they texted was already very familiar, but Ignis decided to play this little game, if not for some excitement then the broken record of his life.

Though knowing he who he spoke to, he still kept up some blinders. He would never let them know certain things that would jeopardize his relationship between him and his charge.

Sometimes that just made things worse.

Some nights, like tonight where they slept under the stars in the tent Gladio set up for them after a hard day's hunt, a hunt where they had nearly lost Noctis due to a stupid oversight on everyone's part, Ignis wanted to throw away the phone and clutch the boy close to him; he would never be able to that.

His phone lit up the small space of the tent in occupied, shining past Ignis’ eyelids, forcing them to open. He blinked a few times then dragged the phone close enough to see what the notification was:

 

**_{Unknown: 11:40 p.m}_ ** Are u ok?

 

Ignis slowly lifted his head, looking over his shoulder. On the other side of the tent, where Noct slept, he could just barely make out a dim light there, hidden, like the body, under the blanket. Ignis laid back on his side, letting his head rest on his pillow.

 

**_{Ignis: 11:40 p.m}_ ** I’m fine. Just, something happened today that had us all shaken.

**_{Unknown: 11:40 p.m}_ ** Like what?

**_{Ignis: 11:41 p.m}_ ** I nearly lost my oldest friend 

**_{Unknown: 11:41 p.m}_ ** Were u scared u were gonna?

**_{Ignis: 11:41 p.m}_ ** Very

 

He knew it was Noct, the sound of shifting around and blankets being readjusted.

 

**_{Unknown: 11:42 p.m}_ ** I want 2 meet u

**_{Ignis: 11:44 p.m}_ ** I want to meet you as well

**_{Unknown: 11:44 p.m}_ ** Can we?

**_{Ignis: 11:44 p.m}_ ** I apologize, but I’m afraid we cannot.

 

When no reply came for sometime, Ignis looked over his shoulder again. The light was out.

 

_______________________________

 

The next morning, it was back to their adventure. Not like Ignis expected different, but there was no mention of the previous nights texts. There might have been some tension but it was easily forgotten when they finally boarded the ship to Altissia. The ocean waves were soothing, the wind in their hair, the excitement of finally getting to see Lunafreya. Prompto was especially excited about that, his conversation with Noct nothing but. Gladio was merely enjoying the view, leaning on the side rail, his palm enclosed around the X of his necklace.

Altissia was a rather big place, bigger then what Ignis had expected. Big and confusing with so many paths to take, but the rides on the gondolas were nice, especially at night when they could take in some of the city sights by merely riding through the canals. Prompto was constantly snapping away at everything that caught his interest, and if it was something that really intrigued him, he summoned his inner professional for the best shot possible. “These are gonna look so cool for the photo album!” he smiled, plopping back down in his seat. “And when we meet Luna, we are so having a group picture.” he nudged Noct playfully in the ribs with his elbow. “Maybe a nice photo of the bride and groom, heeeey?”

Noct huffed, crossing this arms. “Luna’s not that big on getting her photo taken.”

“What?! Aw, c’mon Noct! We gotta!” Ignis smiled at the two, one leg cross over his knee. 

Once they arrived at Maagho’s and met Gentiana and Umbra at the Leville, they rented out a room Prompto already claimed to be bed partners with Ignis, not that anyone could blame him. While Ignis slept rather still the entire night, Noct had habits of fidgeting around, keeping anyone who slept with him awake. Gladio was just a human furnace.

After dinner and a few rounds of King’s Knight, they all retired for the evening. Of course, Ignis was the last one of his companions to finally crawl into bed, his habit of double checking everything always getting the better of him.

Prompto was already curled as tightly as he could be under the blankets thus Ignis made do with what was leftover, removing his specs and setting them on the nightstand. Just as he was about to close his eyes, his phone, again, lit up. Knowing exactly who it was, he took his phone from beside his glasses and read the text;

 

**_{Unknown: 11:36 p.m}_ ** How are u feeling about 2morrow?

**_{Ignis: 11:36 p.m}_ ** _ Apprehensive. Yourself? _

**_{Unknown: 11:43 p.m}_** I’m scared.

**_{Ignis: 11:43p.m}_ ** Why?

**_{Unknown: 11:43 p.m}_ ** What if something goes wrong and he can’t make good with the Secretary?

**_{Ignis: 11:44 p.m}_ ** I have faith in him

 

Again the messages ended with his last words. Ignis frowned, returning phone to the nightstand. He fell asleep before he could read the last message that came later:

 

**_{Unknown: 12:01 a.m}_ ** nite Iggy. Sleep well, k?

 

They never got to meet Luna and Ignis had seen what would happen to Noct, the fate of the King of Lucis and he tried to stop it, fought for the right to see Noct’s through to the end of his life rather than a sacrifice to the damned crystal but in the end, his sight was lost: fate could not be changed.

When they ended up in the mine and he was stumbling around, feeling like he was doing nothing but slowing everyone down, the frustration had grown ever stronger. The tension between Noct and Gladio didn’t help and even Prompto, despite all his encouraging and support, was not helping anymore. He was just glad when they found a haven and everyone turned in early.

The tent guarded them from the rain, but Ignis wasn’t sure who slept with him. He hardly expected Noct and Gladio to want to share even an inch of space between them let alone a tent. Noct and Prompto then, he concluded.

He jumped slightly when he heard a buzz, his ‘good’ eye flying open. In that dark, he realized what that sound was. It didn’t stop either. It kept buzzing and buzzing until Ignis got lucky and switched it off. His palm rested over the power off object, a single tear slipping from his jaw to the black screen below him.

 

His phone was silent for ten years.

 

When it did buzz again, it was another message, sent from the same stranger who’s sent all the others those many years ago, but this was different. There was a voice.

 

_ Iggy, it’s been a long time. I know you probably figured out who that mysterious texter was because let’s face it. How could you not know? You’re Ignis and you probably knew before you even finished reading the first message. There’s a lot I wanted to tell you, but hey, I was stupid and didn’t know the first thing about telling someone else about how I felt. I thought, maybe if you thought it was someone else you were talking too, you would fall for them and then, surprise! It’s actually me. Yeah, I know, stupid plan, but I was stupid back then too. Now, we’re both older and I don't feel nervous about telling you anymore. I really,  _ really _ , cared about you, Ignis Scientia dare I say, I love you…I know, a little too late, but if there was something that I really needed to get off my chest, it was that. Now, go open an amazing restaurant and serve up the best food this side of Lucis…I mean what I said though, so, please never forget that, okay Iggy? _

 

As the raise of the sun hit Ignis’ face, he meet it head on, a smile wavering on his lips. “Of course, my King.”


End file.
